The postseason is finally here and if the regular season was any indication of how things will go, there could be some fireworks in this year’s district tournaments.
The Owensboro Catholic girls are again the top seed in the 9th District, but Apollo appears ready to dethrone the Lady Aces. Catholic and Apollo first have to get past Owensboro and Daviess County, both of which will be underdogs but can’t be counted out to earn a surprise win.
Though the 9th District boys race appeared to somewhat tight for most of the season, top-seeded Owensboro has again separated themselves as the team to beat. Owensboro Catholic, Daviess County and Apollo aren’t too far behind, though, and could be dangerous if they get a hot start.
In the 12th District, both the Trinity girls and boys enter as the No. 4 seeds. The Lady Raiders have been heading in the right direction but have to keep riding their momentum to earn a repeat trip to the region tournament. The Raiders have the talent to pull off an upset, but they’ve got to put it all together on both ends of the court.
All 9th District games will be at the Sportscenter, while all 12th District games will be at Grayson County.
Read below for all the 9th and 12th District tournament times, as well as a brief look at all the matchups.
TOURNAMENT TIMES
9th District girls
Monday at 6 p.m. – No. 1 Owensboro Catholic vs. No. 4 Owensboro
Monday at 7:15 p.m. – No. 2 Apollo vs. No. 3 Daviess County
Thursday at 7 p.m. – Championship
9th District boys
Tuesday at 7 p.m. – No. 1 Owensboro vs. No. 4 Daviess County
Wednesday at 7 p.m. – No. 2 Owensboro Catholic vs. No. 3 Apollo
Friday at 7 p.m. – Championship
12th District girls
Monday at 6 p.m. – No. 1 Edmonson County vs. No. 4 Trinity
Monday at 7:45 p.m. – No. 2 Grayson County vs. No. 3 Butler County
Thursday at 7 p.m. – Championship
12th District boys
Tuesday at 6 p.m. – No. 1 Butler County vs. No. 4 Trinity
Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. – No. 2 Grayson County vs. No. 3 Edmonson County
Friday at 7 p.m. – Championship
QUICK INFO
9TH DISTRICT GIRLS
No. 1 Owensboro Catholic (20-10) vs. No. 4 Owensboro (5-24)
Catholic proved vulnerable at times this year, but they still found a way to earn the top seed for the district tournament for the 10th year in a row — and they’ll be going for their third straight title. The Lady Aces have been a bit streaky this year, but they’ve won five of their last six to gain some momentum.
Owensboro owns arguably the most surprising region victory this season — a 37-35 stunner over Apollo — but overall they simply haven’t had the firepower to keep up with anyone. They’ve lost 14 games in a row, scoring 40 points or less nine times during that stretch.
No. 2 Apollo (20-8) vs. No. 3 Daviess County (10-18)
Apollo rebounded from their loss to Owensboro quite well, going 13-4 over the rest of the season — including a 10-0 record against region opponents. While a balanced offense has proven capable of lighting up the scoreboard, the E-Gals’ defense has been just as vital to success — allowing the third-fewest points of any team in the region.
Daviess County rattled off a six-game win streak early in the year, but they’ve struggled to find much consistency ever since. Though they’ve had a handful of games with at least 60 points, the Lady Panthers have scored the third-fewest points of any team in the region.
9TH DISTRICT BOYS
No. 1 Owensboro (17-10) vs. No. 4 Daviess County (8-20)
Owensboro finished district play a perfect 6-0 for the second year in a row, and they’ll now try to take the first step toward a repeat trip to the state tournament. The offense has found its rhythm as of late, and the Red Devils are averaging 70 points per game over their last eight contests. With their experience and momentum, they’ll be a tough out this postseason.
Daviess County will be looking for their first postseason win since 2017, while their last district title came in 2012. The Panthers have struggled to find consistency on the offensive end this year. Though they’ve shown flashes of being able to put up big numbers and push teams to the edge, they’ve also scored less than 45 points 11 times.
No. 2 Owensboro Catholic (17-13) vs. No. 3 Apollo (5-24)
Catholic is all but limping into the postseason, having lost four in a row and six of their last eight. Though they don’t have a deep roster, a talented core has proven more than capable of carrying the load. The Aces have scored at least 70 points 12 times this season and are dangerous when the entire offense catches fire.
Apollo has been oh-so-close so many times this year, but they don’t have much to show for it in terms of wins. They’ve lost 12 games by nine points or less, including five losses by a single possession. Even if they can hang around til the end, they’ll have to figure out a way to close out the game.
12TH DISTRICT GIRLS
No. 1 Edmonson County (18-10) vs. No. 4 Trinity (13-16)
Trinity found some momentum near the end of the season and won five of their final seven games, and they’ll need to use that in order to get back to the region tournament after a surprise appearance last year. The Lady Raiders lost all six district games by double digits this year, so they’ll have to find a way to slow down a hot Edmonson County Team.
The Lady Cats have won 12 of their last 15 games, largely relying on a strong defensive effort to slow down their opponents.
No. 2 Grayson County (19-11) vs. No. 3 Butler County (13-16)
Grayson County went on a hot streak during the middle of the season — winning 10 of 11 games — but they’ve lost their last four. Though they’ve scored the most points of any team in the region, they’ve also allowed the second most. Butler County is the only team to allow more points this year, but they are trending upward heading into the postseason.
12TH DISTRICT BOYS
No. 1 Butler County (19-9) vs. No. 4 Trinity (9-21)
This year certainly hasn’t gone as well as Trinity had hoped it would. Though they’ve found some success on the offensive end, the Raiders have allowed the most points of any team in the 3rd Region. They’ll have to find some answers on defense as they search for their first postseason win since 2009.
Butler County, meanwhile, has scored the third-most points of any team in the region. However, they’ve lost five of their last eight entering the district tournament.
No. 2 Grayson County (9-20) vs. No. 3 Edmonson County (12-14)
Grayson County split their season series with every team in the district, but overall they’ve struggled this year to string together wins. Edmonson County had a hot streak midseason and won eight of nine games, but they lost three of four to close out the year.
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